A Fish's Curious Nest. 
329 
laughing were Uc to see here and there a little black urchiu like this, 
Avliom iiust'ortuiie had really overtaken, rubbing the ^^■oun(b'd spots ami*.! 
tears and the most frightful grimaces, or watch his mate anxiously 
exerting himself to diseover and extract from tongue or lips the hairs 
that caused the trouble? 
794. The irrigation trendies of the estate supplied me with many 
interesting tish, amongst whicJi the CdlUcht/ii/s coclatus C\\\., the Hassar 
or Hardback of the Colonists and coloun^d people, which in its habits of 
life varies so much from all otlier tish, specially attracted my attention. 
The tisli not only buikls for its spawn a com]>lete nest out of all kinds of 
tibre in between the water-phints which it will defend in tlie bravest 
fashion, but guards it besides with tlie most active motherly care and 
energy against every attack until the young fry escape. The structure 
is a j-egulai- work <d" art and is very like the nest of a magpie. In April, the 
artist liegins l)uil(ling the lying in l)e(l out t)f blades of grass, in lietween 
the water-])lants and rushes, to which it is atta<'hed somewhat below the 
surface until it llnally resembles a hollow ball pressed flat, the upper 
vaulting of which reaches to the top of the water. An opening, propor- 
tionate to the size of tlie mother, leads within: as soon as the fish has 
spawned she never leaves this, excei)t to satisfy her hunger, until the 
brood slip out. Her motherly instincts indeed prove her own umloinn. 
because at this period she can be easily caught. One takes a small 
basket, holds it over the opening of the easily-found nest, knocks lightly 
on it, and the furious fish with outspread fins that ai'e capable of doing 
fair damage rushes into the basket. I sent nest, spawn, and mother in 
spirits to Berlin. The still waters of the coast, especially the irrigation 
trenches of the estates, appear to be its favouinte haunts. The creature 
lias also another peculiarity that distinguishes it from others: it takes 
overland trips during the dry season. When the swamps formed during 
the floods dry u]» during this portion of the year, the hassars oceupviiig 
them start on their way to find fresh waters. The plates that cover 
the body and the stiff spines of the ventral fins qualify it for sneh a 
journey. Tt has lieen stated that they can retain some water in a skinny 
sack which surronnds the gills, and tli.at by this means they can be kept 
moist on the passage. At times of such exodus in which the whole of the 
occu|)ants of the swamp always take part collectively, the Indians and 
coloured people will often fill basketsfull, because the fish, under its coat 
of mail, shields if only a little, yet a very tnsty flesh. Should the wave 
of emigration meet with no Avater the fisli dig themselves into the soft 
muddy ground, where they remain lying in a sort of asphyxia until such 
time as it again collects tliere. From personal knowledge, they can 
survive quite fresh and lively for 10 houi-s out of water. Just as 
plentiful in the trenches were two other new species that I found there, 
and which in their way of living by no means ditfer from it : these were 
f'(i]Ji<-]ifJi//s pictns jNIiill. Trosch. and C. c.ntraiiix Müll. Trosch. Besides 
these fish, Epiej/rtiis gihhasmt .Miill. Trosch. aud (1 i/)iniof]ior<t.r orrJhittis 
Spix. were caught in equally large numlHM' in the trenches. 
795. The dainty (Jii<i tii<><-lit riihiaris Chois. had actually taken pos- 
session, of one of the abandoned estates in the neighbourhood of Anna 
